SmartLess Podcast – “Olivia Colman”

Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Olivia Colman
Date: August 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of SmartLess features celebrated British actor Olivia Colman, known for her incredible range across drama and comedy. The conversation weaves through her early career, breakout roles, prestigious accolades, craft as an actor, and the joys and anxieties of working in film and television. It’s a lively, warm, and self-effacing discussion, with plenty of laughs—plus some sincere introspection into the nature of art and parenting. The episode also touches on Olivia’s latest film "The Roses" (with Benedict Cumberbatch), her iconic performance as Queen Elizabeth II, and her love for reality television.

Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Welcome and British-Canadian Banter

(Show content begins around 03:07, guest enters at 08:36)

• Will is in Seattle for a personal event, banters about friends and family.
• Playful ribbing about NHL teams, Sean’s grocery shopping, and "good milk" in London (“good non fat cow milk” quest).
• Will introduces the guest: “Academy Award winner… Olivia Colman!”

2. Olivia Joins – British Comedy, Awards, and Identity

(08:36 – 14:00)

• Olivia’s arrival: A gracious and cheeky entrance; laughs about the “good teats” comment.

• England-love: Sean and Jason talk about their fondness for England; Olivia is based in London, currently in the US countryside.

• On her career diversity:

  • Will: “What’s staggering is the breadth of your work… do you consider yourself comedic, dramatic, or none of the above?”
  • Olivia (11:11): “A little bit of all of it, sure… Comedy has my heart because that’s where I got work, but I always wanted to do something dramatic.”

3. Breaking into Drama & Early Recognition

(11:41 – 17:14)

• Tyrannosaur:

  • Olivia on the pivotal moment moving into drama thanks to director Paddy Considine (11:43).
  • “It was a slow burn… Sundance loved it, which makes me love Sundance.” (12:12)

• Reactions to Praise & Discovering Her Talents:

  • Jason presses about when she realized she was “special.” Olivia: “I’m very shallow. This is great.” (13:08)
  • On school play at 16 as her first acting moment: “People clapping… that was brilliant.” (15:24)
  • “My mum and dad… could barely speak afterwards—‘oh, fuck’—I thought, oh, I think that’s a good thing.” (15:33)

4. Early Career, Comedy Roots, and “Peep Show”

(17:14 – 21:03)

• Reluctance to admit to pursuing acting: “I never really admitted it to anyone out loud… in my head I thought, I wonder if I’m allowed to be an actor, because I didn’t come from that.” (17:14)
• On meeting her husband, teacher training, and cleaning jobs before acting: (17:40)
• Drama school with husband: (18:31)
• First TV job (sketch show) and “Peep Show” backstory
  • “They’d met Sam and Jesse who wrote Peep Show… they said, we need a woman… our mate Collie…” (19:24)
• Comedy shaping skills:
  • “I couldn’t write for shit… but they can. We say their words and you appear to be funny.” (20:11)

5. Comedy vs. Drama, Vulnerability, & Craft

(21:03 – 24:07+)

• Humility and bravery:
  • “For people to laugh at you… you’ve got to show vulnerability in the drama side. It’s quite brave to show yourself to be an idiot for people to laugh, and to be broken.” (21:23)
• Listening & timing:
  • Will: “In comedy, if ever there was a discipline… you really have to listen… there is almost a musicality to it." (21:41)
• On “comedy actors” doing drama:
  • “It’s odd how it’s easier to make the move from comedy to drama than the other.” (22:40)

[Break / Ads]

6. “The Roses”: New Film and British vs. American Comedy

(28:07 – 33:08)

• About “The Roses”:
  • Based on “War of the Roses,” written by Tony McNamara, with Benedict Cumberbatch.
  • “He’s slightly changed it a bit, so it’s called 'The Roses,' but that was definitely a big influence.” (28:31)
• Admiring US sitcoms / mutual influences:
  • Olivia: “We can sort of quote… all my friends, excuse me, adore American comedy. I find American comedy very sophisticated.” (30:28)
  • Will: “My favorite film of all time is Withnail and I… just the gold standard.” (30:34)
• Differences between British and American humor:
  • Jason: “British humor tends to sort of lean back… whereas we in America want to show it to you quicker. We’re a little more earnest, a little louder, a little more obvious.” (31:13)
  • Olivia: “That’s lovely of you… but I sort of feel that way about watching all of you perform." (31:49)

7. Picking Roles, Career Choices, and Family

(32:45 – 36:46)

• On not being choosy early on:
  • “I think in the early years, not working very often was brilliant because it’s made me very grateful for work.” (32:48)
• Saying no, prioritizing home life:
  • “I’ve never been away from Ed (husband) more than two weeks… I get quite homesick.” (33:53)
• Parenthood:
  • Kids: “They all arrived nice. They were so nice when they turned up… all equally emotional and funny.” (35:13)
  • On eldest leaving for university: “I pre-grieved… every time he walked past, I’d burst into tears.” (35:58)
  • “Ed burst into tears and I went, ‘are you fucking kidding? We’ve got five hours in the car.’” (36:45)

8. “Heartstopper,” Inclusivity, and On-Screen Parenting

(36:47 – 38:09)

• Sean praises Olivia’s role as a loving mom in "Heartstopper":
  • “That scene… you listening to your son come out and your reaction, that scene was so powerful.” (36:59)
  • Olivia: “It’s coming of age… I think just so beautifully written, it’s like the blueprint for… hopefully parents will reply in that way.” (37:31)
  • “Massive hit… often men over 40 get really teared up… thank you so much for that.” (37:42)

9. Producing, On-Set Partnership & Filming "The Roses"

(38:10 – 40:13)

• Olivia’s husband, Ed, runs their production company.
• They produced "The Roses" with Benedict’s company (SunnyMarch).
• Filmed in the UK counties of Devon/Dorset, played English characters in America, supported by a star-studded comedic cast (Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, etc.)
• Directed by Jay Roach: “Poor thing, he was like herding cats.” (39:47)

10. Playing The Queen – “The Crown”

(40:24 – 45:03)

• Landing the role:
  • Olivia watched and loved Claire Foy’s performance, was shocked to be asked: “I went, ‘absolutely, yes!’… I hadn’t really thought about the weight of what it would be.” (41:59, 42:34)
  • “To be fair, I had a huge tax bill that year—it really came at a good time.” (42:34)
• The challenge:
  • “Everyone knows what she looks like, what she sounds like… I started to regret my decision.” (43:10)
  • “I can’t walk posh… the director did shout, ‘more Queen, less farmer!’” (43:27)
• Day one nerves:
  • “That first time you open your mouth… I can watch back the first scene and tell I wasn’t…” (44:06)
  • “My knees were absolutely going up and down… I sounded really tight in the back of the skirt.” (44:27)

11. Watching One’s Own Work & Handling Reviews

(45:03 – 47:02)

• Olivia doesn’t watch herself on set: “I think it would have unraveled me.” (45:48)
• Her husband filters reviews: “If anyone’s been mean, I don’t want to see it… you never remember the good bits, only the bad.” (46:25)

12. More on “The Roses”, Improv & Comedic Collaborators

(50:03 – 53:10)

• On working with Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg:
  • “Like a great big, intelligent human Labrador” (of Benedict Cumberbatch) (50:55)
  • Sets were full of laughter, hard for Jay Roach to keep order: “It was so hard to get through the day.” (51:39)
• Olivia and Benedict tend to stick to the script, unlike improvisers:
  • “Know your strengths, know your limits. I’m so thrilled to have seen them do what they do…” (52:51)

13. “The Favourite”, Working with Yorgos Lanthimos

(53:10 – 56:07)

• “If he asks you, say yes. Please.” (53:25)
• She nearly missed out due to scheduling, but Yorgos waited: “He waited for me, which was… amazing. Love him forever for that.” (55:13)
• Yorgos’ rehearsal process: weeks of improv/theater games, bonding actors and breaking down inhibitions.

14. Oscars and Accolades

(57:08 – 59:42)

• Memories of winning the Academy Award:
  • “Great speech, by the way.” – Sean (57:14)
  • Olivia jokes: “A couple of ibuprofen and coffee… kind of bonkers.” (57:36)
  • On carrying the Oscar in her hand luggage through security: “I didn’t want it to go in the hold in case they lost it—then it’s goodnight, Oscar!” (58:17)
  • Keeps her Oscar hidden at home: “It was in a cupboard in our sitting room… our lovely Darren (carpenter/handyman) opened the cupboard: ‘are you fucking kidding?’ So now I have it on a bookshelf but behind a book.” (59:03)

15. Guilty Pleasures & Reality TV

(60:00 – 64:33)

• Olivia confesses her love for reality TV:
  • “I really love reality telly… Have you seen Too Hot to Handle?” (60:25)
  • Explains game mechanics gleefully: “A snog is two grand… it’s hilarious. It’s so funny.” (61:26)
  • The group bonds over their love of Mafia/Traitors, and talk about playing the game with kids and friends (63:01).

16. Closing & Reflections

(64:33 – 67:17)

• Olivia: “I was incredibly nervous for the first half of this, my heart was going like mad.” (64:44)
• Will: “What an absolute thrill. What a huge, massive fan we all are of yours.” (64:36)
• The hosts continue to gush about Olivia’s joy and positivity, her career, and her bucolic life in the English countryside, ending with playful banter about words like “bucolic.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Olivia Colman: “For people to laugh at you… you’ve got to show vulnerability in the drama side. It’s quite brave to show yourself to be an idiot in front of people and for them to laugh — and to be broken.” [21:23]
• Will Arnett: “In comedy, if ever there was a discipline… you really have to listen… there is almost a musicality to it.” [21:41]
• Jason Bateman (about the Oscar): “You don’t want to check it in the luggage and put it in the hold, because if they lose it, then it’s good night, Oscar.” [58:17]
• Olivia Colman: (on reality TV) “Have you seen Too Hot to Handle? ...It’s all these really oversexed, incredibly hot, beautiful people who are on this island and… they’re not allowed to touch each other...It’s hilarious.” [60:34]
• Sean Hayes: “That scene that they used in the promo of you listening to your son come out and your reaction, that scene was so powerful… I wish everybody’s experience was like that.” [36:59]
• Olivia Colman (on playing the Queen): “I can’t walk posh… the director did shout, ‘more Queen, less farmer!’ as I was walking.” [43:27]

Segment Timestamps

| Segment/Topic | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Chit-chat & Banter | 03:07 – 08:36 | | Olivia Colman joins | 08:36 | | Comedy, Drama, Awards, First Roles | 11:11 – 17:14 | | Early Career and “Peep Show” | 17:14 – 21:03 | | Comedy vs. Drama, Craft Discussion | 21:03 – 24:07 | | "The Roses", British vs. American comedy | 28:07 – 33:08 | | Picking Roles & Parenthood | 32:45 – 36:46 | | "Heartstopper" & Parental Roles | 36:47 – 38:09 | | Producing, Ed, Filming “The Roses” | 38:10 – 40:13 | | Playing Queen Elizabeth II ("The Crown") | 40:24 – 45:03 | | Watching Own Work, Handling Reviews | 45:03 – 47:02 | | On-set Fun & Improv in “The Roses” | 50:03 – 53:10 | | “The Favourite” and Yorgos Lanthimos | 53:10 – 56:07 | | Oscary Story & Home Life | 57:08 – 59:42 | | Reality TV Guilty Pleasures and Mafia/Traitors | 60:14 – 64:33 | | Closing & Reflection | 64:33 – End |

Final Thoughts

This episode is an engaging mix of humor, insight, and warmth. Olivia Colman’s humility and joy shine throughout—from her stories of awkward drama school days to Oscar night, her take on acting, parenting, and the simple pleasures of reality TV. The hosts’ admiration is genuine, and the balance between laughter and earnest craft discussion keeps things brisk and delightful for listeners—whether they’re longtime fans or getting to know Olivia Colman for the first time.